Theos-Talk Archives (May 1998 Message tt00230)

At 01:09 AM 5/10/98 +0100, you wrote:
>Dear Dallas,
>
>With all fraternal respect, I want to know what *you* think - I can look
>up all these quotes anytime.  I asked for *subscribers'* opinions.

Alan:

The question here may be ambiguous. Are you asking Dallas (and everyone
else) what they think really happens, regardless of what they may have
read about it? We all have our own differing ideas. It's a different
question if you're asking what the term "second death" means according
to source Theosophy. That question can be answered with citations, or
someone can express it in their own words -- but the idea they are
expressing is the same. We have with Theosophy a well-defined system of
ideas, of which the basic concepts in the books are the tip of the
iceburg.

Depending upon the direction of a discussion, we may at one time
be polling everyone for opinions, regardless of what Theosophy may
say on things, and seeing the many different ways that everyone
looks at the world. It's perfectly fine, though, for the other
direction to be taken at times, the direction in which we say that
we are studying Theosophy for the moment, seeking to learn and
express in our own words what it says about things. What it says
may not always be what we think, but the purpose of the study is
to expose ourselves to new ideas, ideas that we haven't had before,
including those that Theosophy offers.

-- Eldon